Aluminum Honeycomb

$14.99 – $29.99

NEW 2″ thick sheets now in stock!!

Let the fun begin! Aluminum honeycomb is an awesome material to embed in resin for pen blanks, knife scales or any other project you can imagine. Two sizes to choose from: 1/8″ cell or 1/4″ cell in 3/4″ thickness or 1/4″ cell in 2″ thickness. Each sheet is 5″ x 8″ and prices are per 5″x8″ sheet. See Product Description below for more details

Description

Finally, a reliable source of aluminum honeycomb for resin casting! Honeycomb adds a whole new dimension to your turning blanks, and it’s fun to get creative with for pen making, knife making, or any other resin project.

Each piece is 5″ x 8″ and 3/4″ thick. There are three sizes to choose from: 1/4″ cell and 1/8″ cell in 3/4″ thickness or 1/4″ cell in 2″ thickness. Prices are for one 5″ x 8″ sheet. The 1/8″ cell size and 2″ thick sheet are more expensive because there is twice as much metal per square inch. Pieces are shipped in USPS boxes to provide the necessary protection while in transit.

I wanted to purchase aluminum honeycomb to use in my blanks, but I could never get any straight answers about which type or what brand adheres best to casting resins. So, I decided to just test a bunch of different brands out and use the one that worked best. After extensive testing with different manufacturer’s products, this aluminum honeycomb gave the best results for adhesion with resins. I’ve turned numerous pens without any major tear-out, and I even had other pen makers of varying skill levels test out blanks made with this honeycomb. It worked fabulous! Although I did the testing to ensure that the blanks I make have the best adhesion possible with the honeycomb material, I can pass on that benefit to my customers.

This material is brand new, not scrap left over from worksites. To ensure the product quality remains consistent, I buy full sheets brand new directly from the manufacturer.

Note: Although this is the best product I’ve found, the bond between aluminum honeycomb and resin is not ideal and could delaminate depending on conditions and factors during casting and while turning/processing. My testing showed minimal chipout overall using specific resins and turned by numerous different people with different pen turning skill levels, but all the blanks used during the testing period were made by me using my processes and resin products.

Caution must be taken while turning blanks with this material embedded in it. The bond between the resin and honeycomb is fragile and can delaminate if overheated or stressed. For best results soak the material in acetone for 30 minutes and dry fully prior to casting to help remove any oils or other surface contaminants that may weaken the bond between the resin and honeycomb.

Check out my video on preparing and turning mixed material blanks for some tips on best practices when working with these types of blanks.